New Year’s Day, 2020, saw the usual clamour for entries for August’s International West Kent Run, the 36th such occasion. Hours later, the entry list was full with riders of motorcycles 30 or more years old, a dizzying list of marques and models.
Not long after, life for everyone went on variations of ‘hold,’ a situation that continued to eliminate even the 2021 event. Unless they wished to withdraw, those who had entered simply had their entries held over for the 2022 event.
Once that acquired ‘definite’ classification, it was heartening for the West Kent Section of the VMCC, the organisers of these extravaganzas, that after a two-and-a-half year hiatus almost all the entries were happy to carry on where they’d left off. In spite of all the recent difficulties in cross-Channel travel, riders from various European countries formed a significant percentage of the entry.
As the name implies, Aylesford was an ancient crossing of the River Medway, still tidal at the point. The village that grew up around such an important facility preserves much
